is a personal essay a genre

What Is a Personal Essay (Personal Statement)?

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

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• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A personal essay is a short work of autobiographical nonfiction characterized by a sense of intimacy and a conversational manner. Also called a personal statement . 

A type of creative nonfiction , the personal essay is "all over the map," according to Annie Dillard. "There's nothing you can't do with it. No subject matter is forbidden, no structure is prescribed. You get to make up your own form every time." ("To Fashion a Text," 1998) .

Examples of Personal Essays

• An Apology for Idlers , by Robert Louis Stevenson
• On Laziness , by Christopher Morley
• Coney Island at Night, by James Huneker
• New Year's Eve , by Charles Lamb
• How It Feels to Be Colored Me , by Zora Neale Hurston
• My Wood, by E.M. Forster
• Two Ways of Seeing a River , by Mark Twain
• What I Think and Feel at 25, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Observations

• The personal essay is one of the most common types of writing assignment--and not only in freshman composition courses. Many employers, as well as graduate and professional schools, will ask you to submit a personal essay (sometimes called a personal statement ) before even considering you for an interview. Being able to compose a coherent version of yourself in words is clearly an important skill.
• What qualities does a personal essay reveal about you? Here are just a few:
• Communication Skills How effective are your communication skills? Do you write clearly, concisely, and correctly? Note that many employers put communication skills at the top of the list of essential qualifications.
• Critical Thinking Skills How fresh and imaginative are you in your thinking? Is your writing cluttered with cliches , or is it obvious that you have original ideas to contribute?
• Maturity What specific lessons have you learned from experience, and are you ready to apply those lessons to the job or the academic program you're considering? Keep in mind that it's not enough to be able to recount a personal experience; you should be prepared to interpret it as well.
• Self and Subject in Personal Essays "[W]here the familiar essay is characterized by its everyday subject matter, the personal essay is defined more by the personality of its writer, which takes precedence over the subject. On the other hand, the personal essayist does not place himself firmly in center stage, as does the autobiographical essayist; the autobiographical element of the personal essay is far less calculated..."
• The Essayist's Persona "Personal essayists from Montaigne on have been fascinated with the changeableness and plasticity of the materials of human personality. Starting with self-description, they have realized they can never render all at once the entire complexity of a personality. So they have elected to follow an additive strategy, offering incomplete shards, one mask or persona after another: the eager, skeptical, amiable, tender, curmudgeonly, antic, somber. If 'we must remove the mask,' it is only to substitute another mask..."
• The "Antigenre": An Alternative to Academic Prose "[T]he more personal essay offers an escape from the confines of academic prose . By using this antigenre form that in contemporary essays embodies multiple kinds of writing, many essayists in search of democracy find a freedom for expressing in their writings spontaneity, self-reflexivity, accessibility, and a rhetoric of sincerity."
• Teaching the Personal Essay "Given the opportunity to speak their own authority as writers, given a turn in the conversation, students can claim their stories as primary source material and transform their experiences into evidence ..."
• Essay Forms "Despite the anthologists' custom of presenting essays as 'models of organization ,' it is the loose structure or apparent shapelessness of the essay that is often stressed in standard definitions. . . . Samuel Johnson famously defined the essay as 'an irregular, indigested piece, not a regular and orderly performance.' And certainly, a number of essayists (Hazlitt and Emerson, for instance, after the fashion of Montaigne) are readily identifiable by the wayward or fragmentary nature of their explorations. Yet each of these writers observes certain distinctive organizing (or disorganizing) principles of his own, thus charting the ramble and shaping the form. As Jeanette Harris observes in Expressive Discourse , 'Even in the case of a personal essay , which may appear informal and loosely structured, the writer has crafted with care this very appearance of informality' (122).

Theresa Werner, "Personal Essay."  Encyclopedia of the Essay , ed. by Tracy Chevalier. Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997

E.B. White , Foreword to  Essays of E.B. White . Harper and Row, 1977

Cristina Kirklighter,  Traversing the Democratic Borders of the Essay . SUNY Press, 2002

Nancy Sommers, "Between the Drafts."  College Composition and Communication , February 1992

Richard F. Nordquist, "Voices of the Modern Essay." Dissertation University of Georgia, 1991

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4.13: Writing a Personal Essay

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Learning Objectives

• Describe techniques for writing an effective personal essay

How to Write a Personal Essay

One particular and common kind of narrative essay is the personal narrative essay. Many of you have already written at least one of these – in order to get to college. The personal essay is a narrative essay focused on you. Typically, you write about events or people in your life that taught you important life lessons. These events should have changed you somehow. From this choice will emerge the theme (the main point) of your story. Then you can follow these steps:

• Once you identify the event, you will write down what happened. Just brainstorm (also called freewriting). Focus on the actual event. You do not need to provide a complete build-up to it. For example, if you are telling a story about an experience at camp, you do not need to provide readers with a history of my camp experiences, nor do you need to explain how you got there, what we ate each day, how long it lasted, etc. Readers need enough information to understand the event. So, you do not need to provide information about my entire summer if the event only lasts a couple of days.
• Use descriptions/vivid details.
• “Nothing moved but a pair of squirrels chasing each other back and forth on the telephone wires. I followed one in my sight. Finally, it stopped for a moment and I fired.”
• The verbs are all in active voice creating a sense of immediacy: moved, followed, stopped, fired.
• Passive voice uses the verb “to be” along with an action verb: had been aiming, was exhausted.
• Develop your characters. Even though the “characters” in your story are real people, your readers won’t get to know them unless you describe them, present their personalities, and give them physical presence.
• Use dialogue. Dialogue helps readers get to know the characters in your story, infuses the story with life, and offers a variation from description and explanation. When writing dialogue, you may not remember exactly what was said in the past, so be true to the person being represented and come as close to the actual language the person uses as possible. Dialogue is indented with each person speaking as its own paragraph. The paragraph ends when that person is done speaking and any following explanation or continuing action ends. (If your characters speak a language other than English, feel free to include that in your narrative, but provide a translation for your English-speaking readers.)
• Be consistent in your point of view. Remember, if it is a personal narrative, you are telling the story, so it should be in first person. Students often worry about whether or not they are allowed to use “I.” It is impossible to write a personal essay without using “I”!
• Write the story in a consistent verb tense (almost always past tense). It doesn’t work to try to write it in the present tense since it already happened. Make sure you stay in the past tense.

Sample Personal Statement

One type of narrative essay you may have reason to write is a Personal Statement.

Many colleges and universities ask for a Personal Statement Essay for students who are applying for admission, to transfer, or for scholarships.

Generally, a Personal Statement asks you to respond to a specific prompt, most often asking you to describe a significant life event, a personality trait, or a goal or principle that motivates or inspires you. Personal Statements are essentially narrative essays with a particular focus on the writer’s personal life.

The following essay was responding to the prompt: “Write about an experience that made you aware of a skill or strength you possess.” As you read, pay attention to the way the writer gets your attention with a strong opening, how he uses vivid details and a chronological narrative to tell his story, and how he links back to the prompt in the conclusion.

Sample Student Essay

Alen Abramyan Professor X English 1101-209 2/5/2013

In the Middle of Nowhere Fighting Adversity

A three-punch combination had me seeing stars. Blood started to rush down my nose. The Russian trainers quietly whispered to one another. I knew right away that my nose was broken. Was this the end of my journey; or was I about to face adversity?

Ever since I was seven years old, I trained myself in, “The Art of Boxing.” While most of the kids were out playing fun games and hanging out with their friends, I was in a damp, sweat-filled gym. My path was set to be a difficult one. Blood, sweat, and, tears were going to be an everyday occurrence.

At a very young age I learned the meaning of hard work and dedication. Most kids jumped from one activity to the next. Some quit because it was too hard; others quit because they were too bored. My father pointed this out to me on many occasions. Adults would ask my father, ” why do you let your son box? It’s such a dangerous sport, he could get hurt. My father always replied, “Everyone is going to get hurt in their lives, physically, mentally and emotionally. I’m making sure he’s ready for the challenges he’s going to face as a man. I always felt strong after hearing my father speak that way about me. I was a boy being shaped into a man, what a great feeling it was.

Year after year, I participated in boxing tournaments across the U.S. As the years went by, the work ethic and strength of character my father and coaches instilled in me, were starting to take shape. I began applying the hard work and dedication I learned in boxing, to my everyday life. I realized that when times were tough and challenges presented themselves, I wouldn’t back down, I would become stronger. This confidence I had in myself, gave me the strength to pursue my boxing career in Russia.

I traveled to Russia to compete in Amateur Boxing. Tournament after tournament I came closer to my goal of making the Russian Olympic Boxing team. After successfully winning the Kaliningrad regional tournament, I began training for the Northwest Championships. This would include boxers from St. Petersburg, Pskov, Kursk and many other powerful boxing cities.

We had to prepare for a tough tournament, and that’s what we did. While sparring one week before the tournament, I was caught by a strong punch combination to the nose. I knew right away it was serious. Blood began rushing down my face, as I noticed the coaches whispering to each other. They walked into my corner and examined my nose,” yeah, it’s broken,” Yuri Ivonovich yelled out. I was asked to clean up and to meet them in their office. I walked into the Boxing Federation office after a quick shower. I knew right away, they wanted to replace me for the upcoming tournament. “We’re investing a lot of money on you boxers and we expect good results. Why should we risk taking you with a broken nose?” Yuri Ivonovich asked me. I replied, “I traveled half-way around the world to be here, this injury isn’t a problem for me.” And by the look on my face they were convinced, they handed me my train ticket and wished me luck.

The train came to a screeching halt, shaking all the passengers awake. I glanced out my window, “Welcome to Cherepovets,” the sign read. In the background I saw a horrific skyline of smokestacks, coughing out thick black smoke. Arriving in the city, we went straight to the weigh ins. Hundreds of boxers, all from many cities were there. The brackets were set up shortly after the weigh ins. In the Super Heavyweight division, I found out I had 4 fights to compete in, each increasing in difficulty. My first match, I made sure not a punch would land; this was true for the next two fights. Winning all three 6-0, 8-0 and 7-0 respectively. It looked like I was close to winning the whole tournament. For the finals I was to fight the National Olympic Hope Champion.

The night before the finals was coincidentally the 200th anniversary of the city. All night by my hotel, I heard screams of laughter and partying. I couldn’t sleep a wink. The morning of the fight I was exhausted but anxious. I stepped into the ring knowing that I was tired. I fell behind in points quickly in the first round. I felt as if I were dreaming, with no control of the situation. I was going along for the ride and it wasn’t pleasant. At the end of the second round, the coach informed me that I was far behind. “?You’re asleep in there,” he yelled out to me, confirming how I felt. I knew this was my last chance; I had to give it my all. I mustered up enough strength to have an amazing round. It was as if I stepped out and a fresh boxer stepped in. I glanced at my coaches and see a look of approval. No matter the outcome, I felt that I had defeated adversity. My opponent’s hand was raised , he won a close decision, 6-5. After I got back to my hotel, I remembered Yuri Ivonovich telling me they expected good results. “How were my results,” I asked myself. In my mind, the results were great, with a broken nose and with no sleep, I came one point shy of defeating the National Olympic Hope Champion.

Even from a very young age, I knew that when my back was against the wall and adversity was knocking on my door, I would never back down. I became a stronger person, a trait my family made sure I would carry into my adult years. No matter what I’m striving for; getting into a University; receiving a scholarship; or applying for a job, I can proudly say to myself, I am Alen Abramyan and adversity is no match for me.

Link to Learning

Sandra Cisneros offers an example of a narrative essay in “Only Daughter” that captures her sense of her Chicana-Mexican heritage as the only daughter in a family of seven children.

Do Personal Essays have Thesis Statements?

While many personal essays include a direct statement of the thesis, in some personal essays the thesis may be implied rather than stated outright.

Imagine, for example, that in your personal essay you decide to write about the way someone influenced you. The influential individual could be a relative, a friend or classmate, an employer or a teacher. As you shape your essay, you would not simply assemble a collection of miscellaneous observations about the person; instead, you would be selective and focus on details about this person that show his or her impact upon you.

Let us say that the person who influenced you is a grandparent. You may know a lot about this individual: personality traits, family and marital history, medical history, educational background, work experience, military experience, political and religious beliefs, hobbies, tastes in music, etc. But as you shape your essay about how this individual affected you, you wouldn’t try to catalog all that you know. Instead, you would try to create a dominant impression by including details that guide your reader toward the idea that is central to the essay.

For example, if you developed certain habits and attitudes as you and your grandparent worked together on a project, that experience might provide the focus for the essay. If you chose details consistent with that focus, then you wouldn’t need to state that this was the point of the essay. Your readers would understand that that was the governing idea based on the details you had so carefully chosen.

Whether the thesis is stated outright or implied, then, the personal essay will have a governing idea—an idea that is “in charge” of what you decide to include in the essay in terms of content, vocabulary, sentence structure, and tone. In short, the personal essay may not have a thesis statement, but it will have a thesis.

Consider a personal essay in which a student was asked to write about a person she admired, and she wrote about her cousin. She wrote:

• I admired my cousin’s decision to enlist because she had to withstand criticism from people who thought women shouldn’t be in the army and because in basic training she had to stand up to physical and mental challenges that I don’t think I could face.

The thesis statement provides quite a lot of guidance for both writing and reading the essay. Writer and reader are equally able to see what the subject of the essay is and what is being stated about the subject, and both writer and reader can see how the essay should be organized. No matter how many body paragraphs there are, this thesis implies that the paper will be divided into two sections. One section will group together the paragraphs on this topic: cousin “had to withstand criticism from people who thought women shouldn’t be in the army.” Another section will group together the paragraphs on this second topic: “in basic training she had to stand up to physical and mental challenges.”

Are Narratives Persuasive?

In a personal essay, you may not think of your thesis as “arguable” in the same way as a claim in a persuasive essay would be arguable, but in fact, you can think of it as something that should need to be demonstrated—backed up through explanations and illustrations. Usually, the idea that should be demonstrated is that you are a thoughtful, reflective person who has learned from the events and people in your life.

If the thesis does not need to be demonstrated, then there may not be much purpose in writing the essay. For, example, a statement that “George W. Bush was the forty-third president” or the statement that “Senior proms are exciting” would not be considered arguable by most people and likely would not spark a reader’s interest and make them want to keep reading.

On the other hand, the thesis statements below would need to be explained and illustrated. In that sense, these personal essay thesis statements are equivalent to claims that are “arguable.”

• The evening was nearly ruined because parents acting as dress-code vigilantes threw several people out of the prom.
• My team spent hours planning the prom and managed to head off a repeat of the after-prom drinking that caused some parents to question whether the prom should be held this year.
• Everyone was able to attend the prom proudly because our prom committee got several stores to loan outfits to make certain everyone would feel like they fit in.
• I opted to attend an alternative prom because the principal refused to allow a same-sex couple to attend.

Keep in mind that the actions or events in your essay do not have to make you look heroic. You could write a convincing and powerful essay about how you attended the school-sponsored prom, even though the principal refused to allow a same-sex couple to attend. Your essay, in this case, might, for example, focus on your regret over your decision and your subsequent understanding of how you think you can best challenge the status quo in the future. In other words, you can write an effective personal essay about a moment of regret.

When writing a personal essay for an application of some kind (scholarship, internship, graduate school), remember that the ultimate purpose of the essay is to make you, the essay writer and applicant, look good. That doesn’t mean that you need to describe you doing great things. If your personal essay is all about your grandfather and what an amazing role model and person he was, you still need to think about how your essay can make you (and not just your grandfather) look good. One way to make yourself look good is to make clear that you are a thoughtful, reflective person (and someone smart enough to learn from a man like your grandfather).

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Contributors and Attributions

• Narrative Essay. Provided by : Excelsior OWL. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/rhetorical-styles/narrative-essay/narrative-essay-see-it-across-the-disciplines/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Narrative Essays. Authored by : Marianne Botos, Lynn McClelland, Stephanie Polliard, Pamela Osback . Located at : https://pvccenglish.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/eng-101-inside-pages-proof2-no-pro.pdf . Project : Horse of a Different Color: English Composition and Rhetoric . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Sample Narrative Essay. Provided by : Georgia State University. Located at : gsuideas.org/SCC/Narration/Sample%20Narrative%20Essay%20Personal%20Statement.html. Project : Writing For Success. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Writing a Narrative Essay. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-writing/chapter/types-of-rhetorical-modes/. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Image of person writing on sticky notes. Authored by : Nappiness. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : pixabay.com/photos/brainstorming-business-professional-441010/. License : Other . License Terms : pixabay.com/service/terms/#license
• Do Personal Essays have Thesis Statements?. Provided by : Radford University. Located at : https://lcubbison.pressbooks.com/chapter/core-101-personal-essay-assignment/ . Project : Radford University Core Handbook. License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright

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The Lasting Value of the Personal Essay

This writing form has a value that goes beyond the college application as it nurtures self-reflection and inspires creativity.

I still remember my own personal essay that I wrote decades ago during my college admissions process. My essay focused on movies and how movies were a conduit of curiosity. It was also about the death of my father and how movies, in part, had provided a common ground for us—a connection. Although my essay, of course, was not the sole determining factor in my admission, it’s a predominant memory from that time of my life. To this day, I feel it had a persuasive effect on my admittance.

In fact, now looking back, I can’t recall my grade point average or my class rank or the final grade that my English teacher gave me on my literary analysis of Heart of Darkness. Even my exact SAT score, back then a real measure of academic aptitude, remains fuzzy to me all these years later, “shaded in wistful half-lights,” as described by Norman Maclean. I can, however, remember nearly every sentence, if not quite every word, of the personal essay I submitted to my first-choice college, which has undoubtedly, for me, over the years remained one of the most important pieces of writing I have ever produced.

The personal essay is an enduring literary genre and an art form that provides often-challenging material in English classes. In my Advanced Placement Language and Composition course, we frequently read works from an array of authors from various eras, including Michel de Montaigne, Virginia Woolf, E. B. White, Joan Didion, André Aciman, Brian Doyle, Dr. Oliver Sacks. These writers function as exemplars for my students to both analyze and model not only for their rhetorical value but also for their stylistic technique and philosophical ruminations.

Power of Personalization

One of the most predominant rhetorical strategies we recognize in these texts is personalization. And so Woolf’s “The Death of the Moth” has impacted my students throughout the years with its frank depiction of psychological tension, addressing philosophical themes on an existential level that never fail to capture their attention—so much so, that a group of students painted a mural on the wall outside my classroom, a visual interpretation of Woolf’s essay that they titled Memento Mori .

The candor and intimacy of Dr. Oliver Sacks’s depiction of his final days before his death from cancer have engendered numerous touching and insightful comments from my students during our Socratic seminars analyzing his almost unendurably moving personal essay, “My Periodic Table.” 

Students respond viscerally, it seems, to the personal. Sadly, many students have been touched by some of the same tragic subject matter that we analyze through these texts. During our seminars and journal assignments, my students have revealed their own personal connections to some of the personal essays we read in class, connecting, I think, to the shared experiences that we have all had throughout human history. 

Our students often find themselves facing a vortex of standardized tests, AP exams, and benchmarks throughout the school year, which often emphasize the formulaic. The active process of personal choice on topic and subject seems lost. So often my students ask me questions when writing an essay, seeking a particular answer, as if literary analysis were calculus. Missing is the creativity, the exploration of writing free from academic constraints like rubrics and scoring guides. Writer-editor Steve Moyer asserts in  Edsitement , “Nuanced thought... requires a greater gestation period than the nearly instant gratification made possible on Twitter.” I have witnessed this impatience from my own students.

There can be a restlessness in the writing process, a hesitancy for revision or drafting. Personal essays require self-reflection and a free-flowing freedom from rigid form that my students embrace in a way that they don’t with an argument or research-based essay. On more than one occasion during parent-teacher conferences, I have had parents tell me that their child used to love creative writing, but somewhere along the way, the rigor of school seemed to have killed it.

Personal essays, then, restore that creativity, since they encourage a freedom from form. Students can experiment with style and figurative language and syntax in ways that the traditional academic five-paragraph essay often thwarts.

Personal essays also allow teachers to really get to know our students, too. The inherent intimacy of a personal essay, the connection between the writer and the reader—in this case, a student and a teacher—provides insight into the concerns, the dreams, the emotions of our students in addition to allowing us to assess how they exercise their compositional skills, including imagery, syntax, diction, and figurative language. Here, then, a teacher has the best of both worlds. We’re able to both connect to our students on an emotional level and evaluate their learning on an academic level. Personal essays also serve as an emotional outlet. 

There seems to be a common assumption that personal essays for high school students serve only the college application process, so the process begins during their senior year. Personal writing, however, should occur throughout a student’s academic experience. The narrative essays that most elementary school students encounter evolve into the more ruminative, philosophical, and reflective personal writing they will encounter during their senior year from many of Common App essay prompts.

Many teachers implement journal writing in their classrooms that provides a firm foundation for the type of personal writing that the college admissions essay requires. In my own class of juniors, the last assignment we complete for the year is a personal essay. My intent is to help prepare them for the college essay they will write, hopefully, during the summer so that they will have a solid draft before the application process begins. 

Teaching our students this strategy in their own writing benefits them in their futures, not only for the imminent college application process but also for job interviews. For example, I was mentoring a student, a senior who had no desire to go to college, about the job interview process he would soon face after graduation. We rehearsed and practiced the types of questions he might encounter from a future employer. I encouraged him to remember the personal details of his experience, personalizing everything in a way that would allow him to ideally stand out as a job candidate.

Through personal essay writing, my overarching, grand ambition is to instill in my students ultimately a love of reflection, looking back on their experience, reminiscing on significant memories that linger, carefully considering the seemingly little moments that, only upon reflection, have an enormous impact on us.

Why Personal Essays?

Author Scott Russell Sanders spoke to BYU students at the Nan O. Grass lecture about the need for writing and the merits of personal essays.

PROVO, Utah (Nov. 3, 2017)—“The one overarching thing I want to say . . . is that writing of all forms –poetry, fiction, essays, science articles . . .  is a form of disciplined thinking,” began Scott Russell Sanders at the Annual Nan O. Grass lecture at BYU. He continued, “It’s more valuable now, it’s more necessary now, I would argue, than ever before because no previous generation has lived in a society which so thoroughly interferes with sustained thinking.”

Sanders said that sustained thinking was valuable as a means to figure out how to relate to others and think about what we want our society to look like. He advocated writing as “sustained tension” on a subject. It could be a concrete subject, such as a memory or an experience, or something more abstract, such as a question or an emotion.

For Sanders, writing to make sense of an experience led him to stumble accidentally upon the personal essay, the genre he focused on during his lecture. He told the story of taking his 11-month-old, Jesse, with him on a short hiking trip. As they climbed the trail, he described passing through a layer of low-lying clouds and looking down on them from the top of the mountain they had climbed. All they could see were mountaintops breaking through the cloud layer. Sanders described the scene as “very beautiful, but very spooky.”

But suddenly, he said, he became overwhelmed with terror. “It was completely irrational,” he remembered. “I had no idea what the terror was about.” He quickly put Jesse into his pack and ran down the mountain to the car. The next day, he still couldn’t explain the strange experience that had happened to him on the mountain, so he decided to write about it hoping to gain some clarity.

As he wrote, Sanders realized that he was terrified of Jesse’s mortality. He said, “It was the fact that he will one day die that terrified me. It was the discovery . . . that you and your partner . . . have not only passed life into this person, you’ve passed death into this person.” He had suddenly become aware of, “that image of these neurons connecting together in his brain . . . he was like those clouds – as ephemeral, in a cosmic sense, as those clouds.”

If asked what he was writing at the time he wrote that first personal essay, Sanders said he would have described it as a letter to strangers.  The designation of the audience as strangers, Sanders stressed, is very important when writing a personal essay. “You have to remember your audience doesn’t know what you know. [They] only [know] what you tell [them].”

The importance of personal essays for Sanders is that they enable a person to work through an experience or emotion and come to terms with it during the process of writing. “What makes an essay personal,” Sanders explained. “Is that there is something at stake for the person telling you the story.”

There is always something in a personal essay that seeks to be understood by the essay’s author. After that one experience with Jesse he didn’t understand, Sanders kept writing personal essays, because, “I only really understood [the experience], and created a container for that experience by writing about it.”

—Olivia Madsen (BA French language, ’17)

Olivia covers events for the English Department for the College of Humanities. She is pursuing a degree in French language with a minor in writing and rhetoric.

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Literary Personal Essay, Op-Ed, and General Personal Essay: What’s the Difference?

The difference between an op-ed, literary personal essay, and personal essay for a general-audience magazine or newspaper are vast—and narrow. All share a desire to communicate a point or perspective that may be a novel destination for the reader, using personal experience as a map of sorts. All the better if you’ve shared that experience before, too.

What is a personal essay for a general audience Publication?

This essay explores a personal experience or observation in a way that is engaging, relatable, and meaningful to a broad readership. It leans heavily on a conversational style accessible to a general audience, versus lyrical literary language, or technical jargon.

The essay should offer broader relevance or message that resonates with readers, and in general, entertains the reader. The essay could explore a particular theme or issue, or it may simply offer insights into the human experience through the lens of the writer's own life.

4 Elements of a General-Audience Personal Essay

A hook—an engaging opening that draws in readers, establishing the essay’s tone and theme. This can also be called a lead, or lede, or grabber.

Use of vivid and descriptive language illuminating the experience, and helping readers connect with the writer.

A clear and compelling message or theme relevant to a broad readership, with reflection and analysis providing insight and meaning regarding the personal experience.

A conclusion that brings the essay to a satisfying close and leaves readers with a lasting impression. This can tie back to the intro section, also called a “kicker.”

Overall, a personal essay for a general audience magazine should be well-written, relatable, and offer a fresh perspective on a particular theme or issue through the writer's personal experience or observation.

Types of General-Audience Personal Essay

Types of general-audience personal essays include

Reported essays: Mixing facts and reporting with personal experiences.

Viral essay : You broadcast your hot take on a topic, which is published in a general-audience publication. Even your neighbor reads it.

Narrative essays: You tell a thematic story of a personal experience with the usual beginning, middle, and end.

Travel or food essays: These essays highlight a culinary or voyage-based experience with a point.

What is a personal essay for a literary magazine?

This type of personal essay combines personal experience with literary techniques and devices. An insightful and engaging work of art results. Literary personal essays often feature introspective and reflective narrators, sometimes they also include formal experimentation, and they tend to explore complex emotions and ideas with a heightened sense of literary craft.

4 Elements of a literary Personal Essay

Literary devices such as metaphor, imagery, and symbolism to convey meaning and emotion, and storytelling elements, such as plot, character development, and narrative structure.

Reflection and analysis to provide insight into the personal experience, often through a lens of larger themes or ideas—while still connecting with readers on a broader level.

Attention to language and style, including careful attention to word choice, sentence structure, and tone, creating a work of art both beautiful and meaningful.

A clear and compelling message or theme, possibly even sharing an issue-based theme.

Often, these pieces experiment and push boundaries, allowing writers to explore complex emotions and ideas in unique and innovative ways. By incorporating elements of poetry, fiction, or other forms of creative writing, the literary personal essay bends genres.

Types of literary Personal Essay

Types of literary personal essay that are typically published in literary journals include:

Lyric essay

Collage essay

Braided essay

Portrait essay

Hermit crab essay

More…there are divisions and subdivisions out there. People often have strong opinions about these matters.

You can read more about these essay types and see examples at 9 Types of Essays.

Op-Ed Essays

What is an op-ed or opinion essay.

Op-eds express the writer's personal opinion or argument on a particular issue, with the purpose of stimulating public debate and discussion. Typically, op-eds are written by experts in a particular field, journalists, or other public figures who have a strong viewpoint on a particular issue. Although the reality is that very often public figures or institutions hire companies to write op-eds on their behalf (I used to do this, ghost-writing op-eds for politicians and leaders of NGOs). Opinion sections of newspapers increasingly welcome works from everyday people who have lived experience with a topic, and even pieces that resemble personal essays.

4 Elements of an Op-Ed Essay

Clear and concise thesis statement summarizing the writer's argument after a “hook” or compelling introduction.

Well-supported argument or arguments based on credible evidence, personal experience and logical reasoning.

Attention to the needs and interests of the target audience.

A conclusion that leaves a lasting impression and encourages readers to take action or think differently about the issue at hand.

Types of Op-Eds

Op-Eds often take the approach of presenting information and experiences through various lenses. Here are some common types of op-ed essays.

News-based: Unique perspective or analysis on current events or news stories

Policy-based: Offering a viewpoint on how policies should be developed or changed.

Personal narrative: Personal stories or experiences to illustrate a broader point or argument. Some of these can end up looking a lot like a traditional essay, or even just a personal essay. For more on this, read my interview with NYT essay editor Peter Catapano.

Criticism: Critical analysis of a particular person, institution, policy, or even popular cultural work, such as a film, social media app, or book.

Humorous: Humor or satire make the point about a particular issue or event.

Explainer: Background or context on a complex issue to help readers fully understand an issue.

I teach a lot of classes on personal essay writing and find students are often a bit befuddled by the words I’m using. So I’ve created this rundown of the common lingo that relates to the art and business of writing personal essays. (NOTE: along the way I’ve tossed in terms of my own, made up by me). 

Why are personal essay prompts often so . . . blah? I’ve sometimes found myself scouring the internet trying to find something valuable in the way of a prompt, maybe to share with students, and been disappointed by the results. But after a deep dive into some…

The term “memoir essay” is used to describe something akin to a personal essay. Definitions bleed every direction, but I tend to think of a memoir essay as decidedly NOT like an op-ed, and definitely not a reported personal essay. It’s a pure narrative from the author’s life.

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• The four main types of essay | Quick guide with examples

The Four Main Types of Essay | Quick Guide with Examples

Published on September 4, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays.

Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type. 

In high school and college, you will also often have to write textual analysis essays, which test your skills in close reading and interpretation.

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Table of contents

Argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, descriptive essays, textual analysis essays, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about types of essays.

An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement —a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations ) and analysis.

Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic. This is the most common type of essay at college level—most papers you write will involve some kind of argumentation.

The essay is divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion:

• The introduction provides your topic and thesis statement
• The body presents your evidence and arguments
• The conclusion summarizes your argument and emphasizes its importance

The example below is a paragraph from the body of an argumentative essay about the effects of the internet on education. Mouse over it to learn more.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An expository essay provides a clear, focused explanation of a topic. It doesn’t require an original argument, just a balanced and well-organized view of the topic.

Expository essays test your familiarity with a topic and your ability to organize and convey information. They are commonly assigned at high school or in exam questions at college level.

The introduction of an expository essay states your topic and provides some general background, the body presents the details, and the conclusion summarizes the information presented.

A typical body paragraph from an expository essay about the invention of the printing press is shown below. Mouse over it to learn more.

The invention of the printing press in 1440 changed this situation dramatically. Johannes Gutenberg, who had worked as a goldsmith, used his knowledge of metals in the design of the press. He made his type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony, whose durability allowed for the reliable production of high-quality books. This new technology allowed texts to be reproduced and disseminated on a much larger scale than was previously possible. The Gutenberg Bible appeared in the 1450s, and a large number of printing presses sprang up across the continent in the following decades. Gutenberg’s invention rapidly transformed cultural production in Europe; among other things, it would lead to the Protestant Reformation.

A narrative essay is one that tells a story. This is usually a story about a personal experience you had, but it may also be an imaginative exploration of something you have not experienced.

Narrative essays test your ability to build up a narrative in an engaging, well-structured way. They are much more personal and creative than other kinds of academic writing . Writing a personal statement for an application requires the same skills as a narrative essay.

A narrative essay isn’t strictly divided into introduction, body, and conclusion, but it should still begin by setting up the narrative and finish by expressing the point of the story—what you learned from your experience, or why it made an impression on you.

Mouse over the example below, a short narrative essay responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” to explore its structure.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

A descriptive essay provides a detailed sensory description of something. Like narrative essays, they allow you to be more creative than most academic writing, but they are more tightly focused than narrative essays. You might describe a specific place or object, rather than telling a whole story.

Descriptive essays test your ability to use language creatively, making striking word choices to convey a memorable picture of what you’re describing.

A descriptive essay can be quite loosely structured, though it should usually begin by introducing the object of your description and end by drawing an overall picture of it. The important thing is to use careful word choices and figurative language to create an original description of your object.

Mouse over the example below, a response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” to learn more about descriptive essays.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

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Though every essay type tests your writing skills, some essays also test your ability to read carefully and critically. In a textual analysis essay, you don’t just present information on a topic, but closely analyze a text to explain how it achieves certain effects.

Rhetorical analysis

A rhetorical analysis looks at a persuasive text (e.g. a speech, an essay, a political cartoon) in terms of the rhetorical devices it uses, and evaluates their effectiveness.

The goal is not to state whether you agree with the author’s argument but to look at how they have constructed it.

The introduction of a rhetorical analysis presents the text, some background information, and your thesis statement; the body comprises the analysis itself; and the conclusion wraps up your analysis of the text, emphasizing its relevance to broader concerns.

The example below is from a rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Mouse over it to learn more.

King’s speech is infused with prophetic language throughout. Even before the famous “dream” part of the speech, King’s language consistently strikes a prophetic tone. He refers to the Lincoln Memorial as a “hallowed spot” and speaks of rising “from the dark and desolate valley of segregation” to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” The assumption of this prophetic voice constitutes the text’s strongest ethical appeal; after linking himself with political figures like Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King’s ethos adopts a distinctly religious tone, recalling Biblical prophets and preachers of change from across history. This adds significant force to his words; standing before an audience of hundreds of thousands, he states not just what the future should be, but what it will be: “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” This warning is almost apocalyptic in tone, though it concludes with the positive image of the “bright day of justice.” The power of King’s rhetoric thus stems not only from the pathos of his vision of a brighter future, but from the ethos of the prophetic voice he adopts in expressing this vision.

Literary analysis

A literary analysis essay presents a close reading of a work of literature—e.g. a poem or novel—to explore the choices made by the author and how they help to convey the text’s theme. It is not simply a book report or a review, but an in-depth interpretation of the text.

Literary analysis looks at things like setting, characters, themes, and figurative language. The goal is to closely analyze what the author conveys and how.

The introduction of a literary analysis essay presents the text and background, and provides your thesis statement; the body consists of close readings of the text with quotations and analysis in support of your argument; and the conclusion emphasizes what your approach tells us about the text.

Mouse over the example below, the introduction to a literary analysis essay on Frankenstein , to learn more.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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At high school and in composition classes at university, you’ll often be told to write a specific type of essay , but you might also just be given prompts.

Look for keywords in these prompts that suggest a certain approach: The word “explain” suggests you should write an expository essay , while the word “describe” implies a descriptive essay . An argumentative essay might be prompted with the word “assess” or “argue.”

The vast majority of essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Almost all academic writing involves building up an argument, though other types of essay might be assigned in composition classes.

Essays can present arguments about all kinds of different topics. For example:

• In a literary analysis essay, you might make an argument for a specific interpretation of a text
• In a history essay, you might present an argument for the importance of a particular event
• In a politics essay, you might argue for the validity of a certain political theory

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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What Is the Difference Between a Personal Essay and a Narrative Essay?

Personal essays and narrative essays are two genres that give you a chance to showcase your life experiences and beliefs with readers. In spite of this similarity, though, they have many differences. While a personal essay focuses on reflection and personal growth, a narrative essay emphasizes the elements of a story to bring the overall experience to life.

Reflections and Lessons

While both genres require you to think critically about your experiences, the core of a personal essay is inward reflection about yourself. This includes insights you have gleaned about your abilities and strengths, significant personal growth you made and what you still need to work on. For example, a personal essay about volunteering as a camp counselor might center on how the experience helped you grow as a leader. In contrast, a narrative essay moves outward, examining how specific people, places and ideas have influenced the way you view the world.

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Emphasis on Story

More for you, narrative story components, the definition of a retrospective narrative, instructions to write a narrative essay, how can the setting be used to communicate the emotion of a character, analysis of voice in a narrative.

As its name suggests, a narrative essay is built around the story of a particular experience. Using the elements of setting, characterization, plot and description, you recreate your experience for readers in a dramatic style that grabs their attention and stirs their emotions. For example, the narrative essay version of your camp counselor experience might focus on your relationships with the children you worked with and develop them as unique characters. A personal narrative, on the other hand, incorporates only the most significant details, placing a stronger emphasis on its reflective element.

Personal and narrative essays also focus on different kinds of actions. In a personal essay, which focuses on your personal reflections, the decisions you made and how you responded to a situation can be key pieces of evidence as you evaluate that situation's effect on your life. In the personal essay about camp, for example, you might describe organizing and planning activities for the campers or managing conflict between campers. In contrast, a narrative essay might include detailed descriptions of other people's behaviors. A narrative about camp could feature humorous encounters you had with the children or descriptions of activities you did together.

Personal and narrative essays are also composed for different purposes and contexts. A personal essay is often a requirement for college applications, scholarships or other academic honors. Some applications, for example, ask you to write about challenging life experiences, favorite activities or a book that has influenced your life. Writers often compose narrative essays, though, for class assignments in composition or creative writing or submit them to literary journals for publication. Rather than being used as a mechanism to evaluate character, narrative essays are often written for self-expression and entertainment.

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Kori Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts in professional writing and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and has been crafting online and print educational materials since 2006. She taught creative writing and composition at West Virginia University and the University of Akron and her fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals.

Writing Program at New College

Genre:   Genres are the familiar forms in which writing is organized. A letter is a genre, as is a poem, a personal essay, a proposal, a novel or short story, a memorandum, an editorial, etc. Emails, texts, and tweets  are among the most common electronic genres. Any form that is recognizable as a distinct and common way of organizing writing can be considered a genre. Genres have more or less predictable conventions, that is, rules or patterns of structure and style.  

Often, in the case of an academic assignment or a professional context, writers do not get to choose the genre they will work in. The overall rhetorical situation will dictate that choice. When there are options to choose from, writers need to carefully consider their choice of genre. Particular genres are suited for particular occasions. You wouldn’t write a poem, most likely, when announcing a new policy or procedure in your workplace.. 

Remember also that the rules or "conventions" of genres structure the ways readers interact with text. Readers typically know what to expect from a news story or an academic article. Thinking back to our initial definitions of rhetoric, remember that working carefully with genre conventions is an important way to connect with audiences. 

[READ MORE] What Are You Making? Genre, Format, Structure, etc.

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Exploring Genres: The Personal Essay

Rachel Manwill

Rachel Manwill is an editor, writer, and professional nomad. Twice a year, she runs the #24in48 readathon , during which she does almost no reading. She's always looking for an excuse to recommend a book, whether you ask her for one or not. When she's not ranting about comma usage for her day job as a corporate editor, she's usually got an audiobook in her ears and a puppy in her lap. Blog: A Home Between Pages Twitter:  @rachelmanwill

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Maybe it’s just me, but the personal essay seems to be having a moment. Leslie Jamison’s The Empathy Exams is showing up on the New York Times Bestseller list, something few personal essay collections do.

Or maybe I’m just paying attention more. The personal essay is a form whose definition is constantly shifting. My assumptions about what constitutes a personal essay in the past have always been very narrow, falling somewhere near the old college application essay tree. But I’m starting to realize that the personal essay can encompass a whole lot more. Are feature articles on Slate part of the genre? Can a book-length memoir be part of the personal essay format? What about narrative nonfiction; is that synonymous with the personal essay? What about cultural critiques, like Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs ? Those essays have a personal element to them. And is The Best American Essays series actually the best? C an the Personal Essay genre actually be all of these things?

The internet gods were unhelpful when I tried to Google “personal essay.” I mostly got recommendations for college applicants. There are classes for learning how to write the personal essay and then how to sell said essay to a publication or two. But for someone like me who just wants to know more, the biggest question is this:

Where do I start?

I asked this question of my fellow Rioters and other bookterneters and received a few helpful suggestions:

These are great, but I want more. I’ve always loved memoirs and I am always drawn to pieces I think are personal essays in magazines like The Atlantic. But if I ask for a definition, am I just limiting myself to the breadth of what’s out there? So I ask again, Where do I start?

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Search the site, search suggestions, the personal essay.

Unlike the rest of your application, which primarily consists of filling in boxes, the personal essay gives you the freedom to essentially write about whatever you want. No rules! Show who you are! Which sounds pretty cool, until you’re sitting there looking at a blank Word document.

While the personal essay is a great opportunity to infuse your voice into the application, I think some people (cough, me, cough) can get overwhelmed by it to the point where they don’t know how to begin. What do I write about? What makes me stand out? How can I explain all of this in only a few hundred words?

Well, as someone who eventually managed to get some words down on that blank document and turn out a decent college essay, here are a few words of advice.

1. Start by writing something.

I know, that sounds really obvious. But sometimes the hardest part of writing is just getting started – if you spend too much time criticizing your ideas before you write anything down, you won’t get anywhere. Write a few sentences, jot down some random ideas, note a couple anecdotes that might be interesting… just get something on paper that you can look back to. Maybe one of those ideas will catch, and BOOM you have an essay – or maybe you’ll look back to this list after a few weeks and think of something else that you would rather write about. That’s fine! The beginning of the creative process involves coming up with ideas, judging them comes later. Trust me, I took a class on this (really: it was a psych class called “Creativity: Madmen, Geniuses, and Harvard Students.”)

2. Think about something that has some significance to you.

Many students feel like they have to write about some huge, life-changing, important event in their lives. If you have something like this that you want to write about, that’s great! However, you can also write an awesome essay about something other than The Most Important Thing Ever. It can be the littlest things, if you explain their significance well, that actually stand out. In my case, somewhere in my essay I mentioned that I got up at 5:37am (rather than 5:30 or 5:45) because I liked prime numbers – and the first thing my admissions officer said when I walked into the room for my interview was, “So, prime numbers, huh?” That being said, remember that this is a college essay, so keep this audience and goal in mind as you write. When they finish reading, what do you want the admissions officers to know about you? Does this essay demonstrate something about who you are and what you care about? If not, you might want to go back to the drawing board.

3. Don’t be afraid to start over.

After finishing my first draft, I was glad to have something, but I wasn’t completely happy with it either. A week or two later, as I was reading over my essay again, I had an idea for a totally different topic - so I opened another document and completely started over. The second attempt was so much better, and I felt happy with how it turned out. It can be hard to scrap an initial attempt after spending so much time on it, but think of that time as just part of the process of getting to what you really want to write about.

4. Get an outside perspective.

One of the most useful things I did while working on my college essay was asking a couple people to read it over. At the time, I had two drafts that I was choosing between, and I wasn’t sure which one captured “me” better. When I asked my parents and teacher what they thought, they unanimously picked one option over the other. In the end, it’s important to have an essay that you are happy with – but sometimes having a fresh set of eyes can help you see what that is.

This is an important step! Both you, and perhaps someone who knows you well, should read over your essay and make sure it is in tip-top shape before you turn it in. There should be no grammatical or spelling mistakes – that gives the impression that you did not take your time on it. I know you’ve spent a long time on it by this point, but those last edits are super important!

The personal essay is a snippet of who you are and where you’re coming from – a snapshot for the admissions officers to look at as they read your application. It will never be able to capture everything about you, but you want to make sure that you’re giving them your best angle. So sit down, smile, and get to writing!

Halie Class of Alumni

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9 Essential Features of the Personal Essay Format

Kate Sliunkova

AdmitYogi, Stanford MBA & MA in Education

1. Writing Quality

‍Because personal essays hold a mirror up to the author and are also compositions, they allow for and demand some elements of originality and creativity.

The key is to craft an essay that is uniquely yours, impactful, succinct, and authentic. You’ll want to make every word count, strive to “show not tell,” and excel at improving word choice during the revision process to give full expression to your experiences and insights.

You, and someone not you (with good written communication skills), should review for final editing and to ensure the essay is carefully proofread.

2. Personal Point of View and Voice

‍Unlike expository essays or news writing, personal essays are subjective, and use first-person speech and perspective. Everything in the essay projects your unique personality, emotions, imunication style, making your college essay both “personal” and distinctive.

3. Authenticity and Vulnerability

Personal essays often explore sensitive or vulnerable topics, allowing readers to connect with YOU, the speaker. At the same time you’ll want to leave out overly personal or private details that don’t really fit the purpose or goal of the essay! Your essay is personal but it’s also shared publicly. You present an authentic self, without coming across boastful or artificial, and without being overly familiar…

PRO TIP: Respect your boundaries when it comes to what you feel okay sharing or not sharing. > Get input from an outside reader who knows you well for more input on what you’re sharing about > yourself and your life experiences before you press “submit.”

4. An Individual Value System

‍A great GPA and great letters of recommendation carry weight, but your personal essay is a way to present consequential character traits admissions officers are unlikely to find elsewhere in your application packet. A strong essay will communicate your values AND anchor them in lived experiences and reflections — making these personal beliefs more vivid, memorable, and also persuasive. Finally, look for opportunities to share how your values inform your passion for learning, your vocational interests, and your potential to contribute positively to campus life.

‍Personal essays aren’t just lists of experiences or lists of personality traits…Personal essays are a great format for highlighting your own level of self awareness. In an essay this often involves showing pivotal experiences or influences in your life and how you actively learn from them. Don’t feel valuable experiences need to be exceptional or fit any mold, we all learn from big and small experiences in our lives, and both successes and challenges can offer equally valuable insights!

6. Storytelling

‍Some personal essays are structured as narratives or “stories.” In fact, sometimes personal essay and personal narrative are terms used to describe the same essay format. We’ll talk more about narrative elements under “structure” below.

7. Emotional Connection‍

Successful personal essays evoke emotions in the reader. They use concrete details, imagery, or emphatic language to help the reader connect on a more personal and intimate level with the writer’s individual circumstances, experiences, joys, hardships, or challenges…

8. Universality

‍Although subjective, the personal essay is a format that lets the writer share personal insights and reflections that touch on more universal themes about life. These larger themes make the piece more memorable for the reader and allow the reader to compare their own insights and experiences with those of the writer.

Personal essays, and admissions essays in particular, are usually concise and to the point. Although you’ll likely want to add color and realism with some descriptive details, dialogue, or other vivid elements, you’ll typically want to maintain a strong focus on your formative experiences and most meaningful reflections.

Since the College Admissions essay is part of the Personal Essay family, the principles we’ve just listed go a long way in helping you understand how to format a winning college essay!

PRO TIP: When you’re ready for some additional feedback on your essay try checking with an academic advisor at your school. It is also very helpful to seek feedback from someone who knows you well - a parent, sibling, or friend would do great, even better if they have recently gone through the admissions process themselves.

Get ahead of the pack by using more sophisticated AI tools designed specifically for evaluating college application essays, such as Admit Yogi AI Essay Reviewer . Our essay reviewer is designed specifically for college admissions essays with input from experienced admissions consultants and former admissions officers, offers prompts in an intuitive format, and is keyed to read for high-impact essay components such as writing quality, personal voice, authenticity, values, and insights…

Now that you’ve got some quick insights into the essential features of a powerful personal essay, let’s go on to talk about the kinds of content, themes, and structures that work best in a college essay format.

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All writers find themselves facing new genres of writing from time to time. Finding oneself in new compositional territory unfamiliar conventions and rules can be an understandably intimidating experience. We all have to learn how write in new genres, however, and as with most new activities, it can be done with enough research, help, and practice. All genres have distinctive conventions and customs that help the reader anticipate and understand the writing.

Researching a new genre

If you want to understand a new genre, start by looking at some successful examples of that genre. For example, if you’ve never written a personal statement , try to find some examples you can study. Gathering these examples can be as simple as running a Google search, or asking instructors or offices where you mind find them. Read the examples carefully to locate and learn the major, common parameters of the genre. What kind of information do you find in the introduction? What kinds of examples or data are included? How long are these examples? Is the tone of the writing formal or informal? These and other questions will help you understand what your audience will expect when you write in this genre.

Getting help from others

Next, it is a good idea to discuss and ask questions about what you have come across in your research. Go to your instructors, or a classmate, or someone else who has experience writing in the genre to discuss what you think is important to include, or avoid, in your writing. Of course, a friendly consultant at the Writing Center can also help you at this point. Keep in mind that the guidelines you are learning are in place for a reason and will make your writing easier for your audience to understand. At the same time, remember that genres are often somewhat flexible and you find out where that flexibility is by talking to others.

Practicing writing in a new genre

Finally, after you have gathered information, discussed it, and have potentially picked up some helpful insights, all that’s left do is practice. Adapting your existing writing strategies to a new genre can take a few tries before you’ve mastered the unfamiliar set of conventions. Don’t panic. Your writing in the genre will improve with practice. Try to set aside enough time before your deadline for a rough draft or two. This is a handy technique for producing effective writing in all genres, but it is a crucial technique for working with new genres.

What can the Writing Center do to help?

The consultants here at the Writing Center are trained in discussing and responding to a wide variety of genres across disciplinary fields. We are more than willing to help you research different fields of writing, address your questions of convention, discuss formats and guidelines, and share knowledge regarding any genre you’re interested in learning more about. It may also be helpful to come in and talk to a consultant before you’ve started writing so you can understand how best to approach the new genre.

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Reclaiming My Scars With Tattoos Turns "A Tragic Reminder Into Something Beautiful"

I was born in Lebanon and when I was two years old, I was severely burned in a kerosene explosion on Christmas night. I was the only survivor of the accident. Following the explosion, I was in a coma for six months and even after waking up, it took a while to regain my sight and hearing. It also took several years of physical therapy and multiple surgeries before I could walk again, and I was left with scarring on over 70 percent of my body.

Embracing my scars has been a challenging journey filled with tons of emotional ups and downs. I have a love-hate relationship with them. On one hand, they're permanent reminders of such a terrible event in my life. On the other hand, they're a reminder of what I've overcome in my life, and make me feel like a warrior.

For a long time, and sometimes even to this day, I struggle with my appearance. I often dread going outside because, unless I'm covered in makeup, people tend to stare at me. These looks are frequently accompanied by faces of disgust, inappropriate remarks, and even insults. It makes me want to curl up into a ball and become invisible.

I am strong, resilient, and powerful, and to anyone reading this who also wants to transform their marks, you are strong, you are resilient, you are powerful, too.

After experiencing this for most of my life, a few months ago, I decided that if people were going to stare, I would give them a reason to look at me. I'm in the process of tattooing all of the scars on my body. That way, people see my art and not just my scars. So far, I have tattoos on both arms, my chest, my neck, and a small piece on my thigh. My left arm, which was not burned, is fully covered in tattoos already, so I eventually want the rest of my body to match that area. It's been a painful process — tattooing the healed burns is much more intense than non-scarred skin due to the I got second and third-degree burns I sustained from the explosion. With fewer layers of skin to work with, the pain is much more severe.

For anyone considering getting a scar tattoo, I say go for it. For me, it was about transforming a tragic reminder into something beautiful — an artistic expression that tells the story of my scars. My favorite tattoo is on my forearm and it says, "She conquered her demons and wore her scars like wings," because that is exactly what I did. I turned a scar on my right arm into a dragon because people would often tell me how scaly my skin looked, but also because I, too, am a fire-breathing dragon. I am strong, resilient, and powerful, and to anyone reading this who also wants to transform their marks, you are strong, you are resilient, you are powerful, too.

— As told to Ariel Baker

Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for PS Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.

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A Genre-Busting Novel Brimming With Pathos and Cracked Humor

In “Unspeakable Home,” Ismet Prcic writes about a broken writer named Izzy Prcic, who is working on a book about his immigration, displacement and life struggles.

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UNSPEAKABLE HOME , by Ismet Prcic

The primary narrator of Ismet Prcic’s “Unspeakable Home” shares with the author a name (here shortened to Izzy), a place of birth (Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina), a youthful trauma (the Bosnian war), a debilitating disease (alcoholism) and an eventual escape route (immigration to late-90s America). Still, Prcic, a writer of formally adventurous fictions — his debut novel, “Shards,” manipulated both convention and chronology — would likely bristle at the label of autofiction. His new novel is too kinetic to merit inclusion in that trendy cohort. Part existential cry, part urinal graffito, part anguished confession, “Unspeakable Home” is a survival strategy, a transfiguring of personal memory to obscure the terrible cost of exile.

In one of several unlikely choices, the novel is framed by a series of letters to the comedian Bill Burr. Izzy, recently divorced, watches Burr’s comedy special on repeat while drying out in Salem, Ore. The experience binds him to the comic, enabling the slightly deranged disclosures of a one-sided correspondence. He riffs, curses, jokes, shares drink recipes, and divulges secrets and shames. He tells Burr of his recent struggles — marital, financial, creative — and describes the book he is currently writing (presumably the one we’re now reading): “Every narrator is a version of me, every chunk a snapshot of a particular brokenness. And in that brokenness I can go anywhere for meaning, anywhere for feeling, healing.”

Izzy’s narrators (several are also named Izzy, though a few are unnamed or bear new names) act as avatars of his immigrant experience, ever engaged in the war “between two sides of one mind, the native side (B) and the tourist side (A).” In patchwork, semi-autonomous chapters, they take us from the Balkans — “that gorgeous, ungovernable, godforsaken peninsula always in turmoil, always on the fringes of civilizations, always a broken-up borderland” — to the suburban superficiality of Southern California. These narrators differ in age and circumstance, though they remain bound by a sense of cosmic homelessness. Shared pain makes them legible, coherent. The old life — that of trips to the Adriatic, country cousins, wartime depravity, sloganeering Chetniks, turbo-folk music and mohawks — has been severed. Sent forth by well-meaning parents, they submit, unwilling, to the spiritual cauterization of America.

Prcic’s prose is spiky, prolix, jocular, a little careering, as if slightly out of control. If there are a few too many juvenile jokes and a certain unhinged hilarity — the letters to Burr sometimes read like manic episodes — the novel also has grit, a kind of hardscrabble authenticity.

Its most successful material is the stuff of childhood and early adolescence, especially the scenes with the paint-huffing Tuzla punk group “TZ PUNX,” of which one of the Izzys is a member. Full of wretched bravado and donning leather jackets and Doc Martens, they rebel against conscription and the empty nationalism of the country’s ostensible adults. They spend the war in states of intoxication, partying with moonshine, glue, pills or wine pilfered from the family cellar, performing an energetic nihilism that feels like a desperate bid for life.

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Elvis Presley's Influence On Rock Music

Rock is a genre that has copious amounts of roots and branches. However, the genre would have never grown to be the monster that it is without the music from bands in the 1950s and 1960s. It’s the progressive musical twangs within a song that truly move a genre forward, and the 50s and 60s had a plethora of them; thus, making it the most influential time period for rock music as a whole. One of the most influential rock artists of the time was the one-and-only, Elvis Presley. Elvis was a man of many musical talents. From rock to blues to gospel - he could do it all, and do it seamlessly under one, cohesive brand. However, what Elvis did that truly influenced the rock genre for years to come was the strategic compositions he recorded. One example is this is his 1956 hit song “Love Me Tender” off of the album Heartbreak Hotel. “Love Me Tender” was originally a retaliation song to Elvis’ live performance of his song “Hound Dog.” When Elvis performed “Hound Dog” live, he was a bit overzealous with his dancing and pelvis thrusts. Elvis’ older audience was not pleased with the sexual nature of the performance; thus, forcing Elvis to make more innocent songs such as “Love Me Tender.” However that does not diminish musical innovation of the song. If you listen closely, you can hear something incredibly genius in-between the …show more content…

The album itself had a unique duality, stylistically, due to to the two separate songwriters in the group, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Both artists wrote songs for the album, which made it more likable to a wider range of people. Furthermore, the band introduced instruments such as the 12-string guitar, which had a unique twangy sound, on top of their increasingly improved harmonies, lyrics, chord progressions and echos. The album truly broke the barriers of popular rock music at the time, leaving room for others to break the rules even

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